Genetic variation in the captive population of beluga whales Delphinapterus leucas (Pallas, 1776) at the Primorsky Aquarium
Yagodina V.D. 1,2 , Batishcheva N.M. 2 , Kamenskaya D.N. 2
2 A. V. Zhirmunsky National Scientific Center for Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, 690041, Russian Federation
Year: 2026, Number: 2, Pages: 100-109
Genetic management in animal breeding programs is crucial for ensuring long-term survival, preserving species, and mitigating negative impacts of inbreeding. This study examines the genetic composition of a group of six beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) housed at the Primorsky Aquarium (Vladivostok, Russia). The group under study features a complex social structure, consisting of a breeding core (one female and one male), two additional adult males, and two full siblings, the first beluga calves born under human care in Russia. We propose a simple and cost-effective protocol for the genetic management of captive D. leucas based on the analysis of eight polymorphic microsatellite loci. The analysis results revealed a moderate level of genetic variation: the mean number of alleles per locus was 3.125 ± 0.295. The observed heterozygosity (Ho = 0.688 ± 0.097) exceeded the unbiased expected heterozygosity (He = 0.591 ± 0.069), while the negative inbreeding coefficient indicates an excess of heterozygotes and a lack of relatedness among the founding adults. The presence of siblings in the sample allowed for an empirical validation of the panel’s discriminatory power. The calculated probability of identity for siblings PIsibs approached zero, ensuring reliable individual identification even among closely related animals. Furthermore, the cumulative probability of exclusion (PE > 0.99) confirmed the method’s effectiveness for paternity verification in groups with multiple potential sires. This genotyping approach is particularly valuable for establishing and maintaining genetic diversity ex situ, especially when reliable studbook data are not available.
DOI: 10.25221/2782-1978_2026_2_10
Keywords: beluga whale, Delphinapterus leucas, microsatellites, genetic diversity, aquarium,
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